Chapter 5: The Missing Ali

A few steps away, Seventh Miss lifted the wide sleeves, revealing a section of her fair and delicate wrist.

She raised two well-maintained, slender fingers and, from a distance, gestured towards the cat, choosing angles as if circling around it. Seemingly random and casual, her gestures captivated the cat, making its eyes follow her movements.

As the cat instinctively prepared to play, Seventh Miss spoke softly and gently, "Ah Li, Ah Li... Good, that's it, just stay calm."

Regardless of whether Ah Li understood her words, she hummed a tune and occasionally called its name, while subtly shaking her wrist a few times.

On her wrist, she wore a string of crystal beads wrapped twice around, as if it could slide onto her small arm at any moment. Dozens of translucent beads, the size of red beans, shimmered with the light filtering through the treetops. Not too many, not too few, it was not dazzling, but rather soothing to the eyes.

The cat indeed began to half-close its eyes, swaying its head as if drowsy, as if falling asleep.

Before long, to her surprise, the cat's tail drooped softly, and its body lazily lay down. After licking its paws, it seemed to be soothed by the rhythmic and comforting sounds, not entirely consistent, that accompanied Seventh Miss's repetitive calls. The white cat named "Ah Li" by Eleventh Miss, curled up in front of the stone tablet, hooking its tail, and its whole body curled up like a crescent moon.

Satisfied, Seventh Miss clapped her hands and said, "Very good. This troublemaker has been taken care of." She crouched down to take a closer look and realized that the cat was indeed of good quality.

Ah Li, raised by Eleventh Miss, was plump and white, with no trace of mixed colors in its fur. Its short and perky ears made it very adorable.

With a smile, she walked around it, leaving Ah Li to sleep peacefully. As she strolled along, she was almost mesmerized and lost track of time. If it weren't for Lu Fu's reminder, the Xu family would have been anxious.

"Miss, please hurry. Madam Tao is furious and ready to punish someone severely."

"Always playing tricks! When did you really get punished?" She glanced at Lu Fu and suddenly remembered something. "When you came over just now, did you see the Ah Li that Eleventh Sister is raising?"

The place where Ah Li had been was now empty, with no sign of the cat.

"I didn't see it. Even if I did, I would pretend not to. Besides, how could that cat come to the backyard? It might be in Eleventh Miss's arms being played with." Lu Fu sneered, unwilling to mention the annoying animal. She turned her head and missed the fleeting surprise in her mistress's eyes.

As the two of them returned to the courtyard, they heard loud crying and commotion coming from inside, deafening them.

"What's going on now?" The courtyard was crowded with people, and the one causing the commotion was either Eleventh Miss or someone else?

A young girl clung to Miss Tong's waist, sobbing uncontrollably, unable to speak due to her overwhelming grief. She even had the strength to punch and kick the maid beside her. It was truly a sight to behold.

"Miss, if you don't come back soon, Madam will send someone to fetch you. Look at how Eleventh Miss is causing such a scene. Madam is so angry that she can't even be bothered to leave her room. Losing a pet in the backyard is already embarrassing enough, let alone if it's seen by outsiders, especially in Cian Temple."

Mrs. Cui came over to welcome the two of them into the house, leaving the matter to the eldest lady.

Seventh Miss frowned, not expecting Ah Li to be truly missing.

Mrs. Xu's expression was not good. Seeing her return, she carefully examined her expression, fearing that the lack of manners outside had frightened the obedient and sensible girls in the house.

"This time, we must not indulge her anymore. Such lack of manners not only brings trouble to the family but also tarnishes the reputation of the other young ladies in the house."

Jiang Yuan leaned against Mrs. Xu's arms, looking at the young girl crying under the old locust tree, and comparing it to the spoiled children in her previous life. Eleventh's grief over losing Ah Li was truly innocent and pure. It was a pity that, in the Great Zhou Dynasty, it was unacceptable for a low-born girl to behave like this.

Lu Fu, who was leaning against the door, turned to look at her mistress and remembered the strange question she had asked on the way. She blinked and kept this matter to herself.

Everyone has their own motives, and no one is a fool. Speaking out would only cause trouble for Seventh Miss, so Lu Fu kept quiet.

The mountain road was paved with stone steps, and Seventh Miss sat in the warm sedan chair, swaying gently. She wore a golden hairpin with a pair of butterfly ornaments, fluttering as if about to take flight. Lifting the curtain with one hand, Seventh Miss looked back at the gate of Cian Temple, murmuring softly, "It's really gone..."

After Eleventh's commotion, everyone had returned home long after the usual dinner time. Mrs. Xu waved her hand wearily, telling everyone to go back to their rooms and have dinner quietly. Mrs. Tong's face was very bad, showing that she had not expected Eleventh to cause such a scene. She twisted her arm, not wanting to stay any longer, and pushed her way back to the west wing.

On the way back, Chunying carried a food box, looking somewhat listless. "We went out happily, but who would have thought that we would come back to such a mess, and it's not over yet."

Contrary to others, Seventh Miss's steps were light and brisk. "Today's commotion means that the Xu family won't stay here for long." Bringing shame to the family at home was different from bringing shame outside.

What did the noble families value the most? Reputation!

The Tong family followed the Xu family to offer incense, not only embarrassing the second branch, but also dragging down the reputation of the Jiang family.

The main concern for the patriarch of the Jiang family now is that when he returns to the ancestral home in Nanyang County, if the old patriarch learns of this matter, will he be able to control his temper and find a way out for him?

While Peach Blossom Village quickly restored harmony, the atmosphere in the rear courtyard became gloomy. The patriarch, upon hearing about the incident, immediately blamed Tong for being too indulgent towards the eleventh. He then ordered the servants to quickly pack up and go to the main courtyard to explain themselves. Losing face is one thing, but maintaining dignity is another.

Of course, they still need to remind the second branch to hand over the money.

At the Tai Long County Mansion, the county magistrate, Mr. Jiang He, had a few drinks and now had a radiant complexion. As he was being escorted to the door, he bid farewell to the official from the capital with courtesy and a hint of caution.

"I will make sure everything is arranged properly to welcome the prince's arrival."

"Please take care, Mr. Jiang." Guan Xu smiled as he watched him leave, feeling that today was truly a turning point.

When Miss Jiang Qigu was at the stele forest, the prince was also present. However, they were standing on the top of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, looking down from a high vantage point, and happened to see how the woman comforted the white cat and then walked away with a graceful and confident demeanor, dragging her long skirt behind her.

The prince was so surprised by her unusual methods that he immediately changed his mind. There is nothing more unpredictable than this. What surprised him the most was that the prince ordered Zhou Zhun to bring the cat back to the mansion with them.

This was... taking matters into his own hands.

"How did things go?" The man in front of the window was wide open, wearing a silk robe after bathing. His jade-like face appeared less stern in the candlelight, showing a hint of warmth.

Knowing that the prince was extremely talented and had a good foundation, he should not have caught a cold even if it was windy at night. Guan Xu instinctively stepped forward to close the window for him.

"I have already instructed Jiang He to attend the banquet in two days. When he meets Miss Jiang, he may be able to test her."

It remains to be seen whether this method will work on someone else.

"Why wait for two days? We can find out tonight."

The man by the window lazily crossed his arms, as if it was just a small matter. However, his words made Guan Xu suddenly realize something.

No wonder he didn't see Zhou Zhun outside the door!